My recent study of the manifestation experiments on this site, Abe literature, and LOA / New Thought classics has produced the following question in my mind. It would seem that Abe and the manifestation experiments utilizes the power of the written word, whereas some of the older-school LOA literature emphasizes visualization.

(Let me also say I do understand that it is the desire that creates the manifestation, not the actual writing or visualization....and that the "power" I speak of lies in the writing or visualization as a method or device.)

I certainly do not doubt the power of the written word; in fact, long before I found this site I began noticing instances from history wherein the predominant sentiment of a person's writings seemed to have a direct effect on their own fate. For instance, most of the gothic and early horror writers died in strange or horrid circumstances--Edgar Allan Poe (mysteriously disappeared, later found delirious and dying in the streets, wearing someone else's clothes), Matthew Lewis (plague), Anne Radcliffe (madness), H. P. Lovecraft (wasted away), Sheridan LeFanu (madness, visions, and strange feverish illness). Nearly all of these authors spent their careers writing about doomed characters experiencing horrid phenomena, and in the first person. So this seems to be virtual proof of the written word manifesting in the physical realm.

On the other hand, so many early LOA / New Thought authors emphasize visualization...they virtually try to hammer it into you. "Message of a Master" tells us, for instance, that

It is necessary at this point to get one fact clearly before you, for it is the fundamental basis from which we proceed, and that clearly is this: that Mind, no matter what form it is apparently contained in, holds images, pictures. And any picture firmly held in any mind, in any form, is bound to come forth.

This point has been echoed by many such as Charles Haanel, Napoleon Hill, Ernest Holmes, and others.

I have read other threads on this site where it is declared that either method is good--it is just a matter of "what works for you best." But, since the manifestation experiments here emphasize the written word, I am guessing that some of you folks out there feel it has more power.

However, drawing from the conclusion of that thread, while it may be that the "desire" itself (and not the writing or visualization) is what creates the object to be manifested, it seems that some of us still have to write it down or visualize it in order to manifest it IF we are going to be conscious sculptors of our own reality. The technical aspect of the process, as it were. So, going back to my original question, is the power of the written word greater than the power of creative visualization? And if so, why? Does the written word contain in it some sort of power that is more potent at actualizing our manifestations than that of a mental picture?

Please forgive me if my question sounds esoteric or too theoretical. If it is, it's only because I want to wrap my head around this stuff a little better, so I can inform my own practice.

@lozenge 123 interesting question - I don't know the answer but wondered if visualisation works better for some and writing for others - for example, dyslexics are supposed to see more in pictures. I wonder if typing will take over from handwriting - I think somewhere I read that typing is not as powerful though. Great question - look forward to seeing the results.

So, as outlined in the above link, it just becomes a matter of what suits your current belief system the best as a way of coming into alignment with the desire that has already vibrationally manifested, though not yet physically manifested.

Remember that "physical" is only a vibrational frequency also that we've all agreed to perceive as a vibrational baseline...there is nothing physical about the "physical" :)

The problem with studying some of the older books, as insightful as some of them are, is that the vibrational levels on this planet are now different than 100 years ago. We have greater "vibrational access" to knowledge that was out of reach before. So as our vibrational levels have evolved, our understanding of the information has evolved.

Added to that, the increased vibrational levels have reduced the "time lag" for frequencies that match a launched desire to reach what is now the "physical" frequency, and thereby be perceptible to our (and others) physical senses i.e. physically manifest.

So the writers of those older books may well have noticed that, in those times, some brute-force long-term visualization was required in order to hold themselves in a frequency long enough for them to acclimatize their habits of thoughts there and thereby perceive (or "allow") the previously-created vibrational manifestation to be physically perceptible. (It is, after all, easier to focus on a static picture for a long time rather than keep re-reading a bunch of words). So that's what they told their readers.

These days, just a few words can often achieve the same alignment because of the faster-moving times - less focus is required to set up the same vibrational habit.

As for the manifesting experiments emphasizing the written word, that may well be because I am personally quite word-focused. I find myself far more comfortable with a literary-based approach to these subjects rather than a visual-based one. Since the Manifesting Experiments are me just sharing what genuinely works for me, not some ultimate absolute truth, they are going to be biased towards my own preferences...and those ideas and approaches will evolve as the times we live in evolve.

I also find it much easier in the Manifesting Box experiment to write a request for, say, a particular event to occur in some specific way by some specific date rather than try to construct a mental picture for it and give my attention to that picture as an "alignment" technique.

In fact, I wouldn't even know how to do it for complex requests :)

And the fact that much of the internet is still word-based instead of picture-based perhaps demonstrates that, for the current mass consciousness, visual-based approaches still lack the richness of detail that words can provide.

So what I am saying is that the reason we may seem to bias towards written words might well be because there is not yet a better alternative for expressing ideas to each other - and to ourselves when we read them back.

It doesn't mean the written word is better or more powerful, it just means we haven't yet mastered the ability to deal directly with blocks of thought, which is what channellers deal with when "downloading" information from non-physical levels.

Finally, with regard to the horror writers dying in horrid circumstances, I would suggest that you may have it backwards :)

It might be more appropriate to consider what vibrational attitudes were already within them that made them want to write horror stories over prolonged periods of time because it is quite likely, even though I don't know their life stories, that it was that pre-existing inclination that attracted their life circumstances, not the words that were subsequently expressed from it.

The words I express on IQ are not creating "Me", but the words are representative of what the "Me" writing them already actually is.

@Stingray - Thanks so much for your detailed response, which is helpful as always. I had already read the first link you posted, but going back to it again, I don't think I had fully understood or internalized it and needed another look. I'm very curious about your note about the the vibrational levels on this planet being different than 100 years ago. Makes a lot of sense...is there anywhere else I can read about these changes in greater detail?

@Stingray - Your comments about the written word being easier to use because of its descriptiveness and ability to be specific also struck a chord with me. It also gave me the following idea...would it be useful to combine the word with images? For instance, if you want something specific, to write out the request and paste a picture of it beneath the words? Maybe I'm being over-curious and over-thinking the process, but the thought just struck me....thanks again.

@lozenge123 - Absolutely it would be more powerful with images, as an alignment technique, because you are introducing another bit of "realism" to the vibrational mix. And it would be even more powerful if you also play-acted through physical movement also, for the same reason. And then you could also add in spoken words/chants/smells (incense) for even more effect. Many, if not all, religious/mystical ceremonies and rituals are really nothing more than an extension of these ideas :)

Our minds are constantly flooded with a barrage of input. Visual, Auditory, Kinesthetic, Olfactory, Gustatory and "??". In order to manifest we need to focus the Spotlight of Our Attention on an aspect of the desired object.

A person with a primary Visual frame of reference may work best with images. A person with a primary Auditory system may work best with sounds.

Everything comes into being by focusing our attention, we begin with the

Archtypal, the Essense, in this example we might begin with "Transportation." We want to be able
to move the physical body.

Creation what do we want to use to move the physiacl body? Car? Boat? Train? Truck? Bicycle? Our Spotlight is more focussed.

Formation we decide we want a car. What kind of car? Color? Make? Sedan, coupe or convertable? This is the blueprint for our manifestation. An architect's drawing and plans must preceded the finished building.

Up 'til now we have been dealing with thought, but the thought has been becoming more focussed, more clear. As an imtermediary we my have a picture of the car. We may go dirve the type of car we want, see it, feel it, smell it, immerse and concreteize our thought-focus to allow the particular car to be "born" into our reality.

I consider this last step to be very important. We begin to bring the abstract into physical creation with a physical drawing, a picture, a written statement. The more we can focus our physical senses the better the blueprint! The more of our physical senses we can bring into play, the more powerful the manifestation.

Physical Reality - we manifest the car.

Everything started as a thought. A thought form and then a reality by becoming more focused.

The Hunas (Hawaiian religion) believe that the Middle (conscious) self starts with a desire, an image. This image is connected with a bundle of energy (our feelings, E-Motion). Then this "bundle" of image and energy is sent through the Low (Subconscious) Self, to the High (super-conscious, Source, your non-physical being) Self.

The High Self lives in a rarefied atmosphere and needs the image, as your blueprint, but it also must have your energy (as the building blocks) to create a physical plane manifestation.

So the clarity of focus is contained in that image. That "Image" of the thing you desire is most easily born when that "Image" begins to have a solid physical plane counterpart - your writing it down. Or your photograph.

@Grace, one of the great benefits of discovering IQ is that it opens up lots of things in our lives which otherwise we would never look into, question or even recognize we are doing them one way or another. But go with the feeling. Go with which one feels good while doing it:)

@Grace-thank you,not to worry Grace, your Self already knows what you want, getting clear is just
another way of Allowing what's already created for you.Im sure you'll be inspired to use something at the right time:)

@lozenge123, great question. I think whether written word or pictures for visualization is a non issue. As Stingray has wonderfully explained, these are just means to an end (whatever end -manifestation, outcome- you pursue) "it just means we haven't yet mastered the ability to deal directly with blocks of thought"

I am enjoying some radical thinking myself these days, that thoughts supersedes everything and the thoughts which make you feel good is the best way of living life:)

let's see below why thoughts is the major deal...

Even manifestations are not real, in the sense, they're transient. My dad probably wanted to manifest VCR, me, I want BLU-RAY:) FERRARI (which all men here including me seem to want to manifest:) did not exist at one time in history right? It may not exist again in say 50-100 years? So that hardly seems like a manifestation! It's transient! It's the chase, the journey towards seeing one's desire manifest and thereby feeling good when it materializes the real spiritual path.

More evolved approach would be to still feel good even if the desire doesn't materialize! because, you would have already milked the 'feeling good' about the desire by the time it shows up:)

I understand that you are asking about people on IQ or generally about literate people, but if we look at the entire human race (because LOA applies to everyone)we'll need to look at it from a bigger perspective...

With that in mind, I often ask these questions (because I have lots of free time:) when I think about the best way to manifest anything?

Written word: Should one write in English, German, Spanish? What language? What about illiterate people? Those who can't write? Or read? Would they lose all the rights to manifestation? Braille? Blind people? On what should one write, what format? waaay back, Buddha probably wrote with coal on leaf (I dunno for sure, I am just saying), we did it on Yellow Pad, then on MS Word, now on the Net, which is virtual meaning it is not even residing with physical us...

Maybe in the future, and here's a thought, you know those 'Speech To Text' softwares? As one speaks, the device types:), maybe those will become tools to write. Spoken and written word, at the same time:)) It can go further than that, the technology and we know it is going to keep evolving...

Same argument can be made about the pictures or visual elements. Wouldn't blind people be omitted then? Some people, I dunno, say tribes, way deep in Amazon Jungle probably do not even have access to any printed material for pictures. And I am sure they have desires that they would like to see manifest, how would they go about it?

But Desires/thoughts/Feeling Good is universal to all human beings and hence that would supersede all other tools. By that argument, whether written or visual process is equally effective!

@Xoomaville - Thanks for your very thoughtful response...makes perfect sense. Communication is Universal, and God and the Universal Mind being one with everything understands all modes and forms of communication, right? All best...

First, here's one of many interesting things that happened to me just recently.....

One of the guys at work said he wanted a day off to go see his favorite band in the next city. As soon as he told me the name of that old 80's band I laughed as it reminded me of a friend, back in high school (26 yrs ago), that dressed exactly like the singer of the band. He looked ridiculous!! (LOL!) We even gave him a nickname with his name and the band's name mixed together and it stuck with him all through school.......after all these years I had forgotten about him. I never saw him again after graduation in 1986.

A week or so later the guy at work said "Hey, look at the video I took with my I-phone of the band on stage"......got another chuckle and mentioned the guy from High School again, briefly!!.....I wondered what ever happen to him??

1 month later.......

PRESTO!! he's standing right in front of me in the city I live in and he was just visiting that day and we just bumped into each other!! We talked and reminisced about the days in High School!!......I hadn't seen him in 26 years!!...and just talked about him a month ago.

So what happen there?

I had an image in my mind of him in that ridiculous outfit, and I was focused on him as I was telling the story........

There was no written words I followed........

My desire was "mild" by saying "I wonder what ever happened to him?".....

My emotion was "a chuckle and a laugh".......and never thought anything more about it.

....Pretty Easy!!

..."BUT" I'm getting alot of this in my life lately!!

HOW??

CAUTION!!
.....if you "think" your thoughts are powerful at attracting.......then by the Law of Attraction.......your thoughts "are" powerful at attracting!!

Then things just start showing up that you only briefly think about.....I have been getting a lot of thoughts showing up in my life lately including a new car just last week!....which came to me in an unexpected phone call!!

I use the word "CAUTION" because if you chose to go down this path and your thoughts are negative in nature your going to experience your own personal hell!!.....so beware of that.

@Eldavo - Thanks a bunch for this response. Regarding your last word of caution, I have heard similar things from classical yogic literature (and of course much of New Thought tells you to "guard your thoughts") and always wondered about this too.

After reading all of the answers here and in other posts, and talking with you folks about it, I am getting a better idea of what I think about this. (Thanks!)

If you write the word "Shakespeare", what comes to mind? Maybe it's a quote, or a memory, or the profound sense of connection that his words make with some essential truth for you?

What about a picture of Alice from Alice in Wonderland? Do you see a cute little girl only? Or do you feel a sense of otherworldliness, fantasy, creativity, and immedately think of or even feel the words "down the rabbit hole"?

Words and pictures can only represent the essence of a thing. Either one, or a combination of both, would amount to the same thing vibrationally, which is what brings you into the alignment with your manifestation. If either or both touch you, define something for you, and make feel happy and joyful and expectant, I think you have all that you are looking for.

There also seems to be some element available to us regarding "sensing" the reality or presence of the manifest desire. I feel this, and have only just seen it lightly mentioned here, but its interesting. It's not really belief, exactly, but more like a perception that can be evoked or clarified. I would like to learn more about that, if anyone has something to share, I'd appreciate it :)

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